Arfrotian stood in the midst of the endless icy desert, his mind racing as he analyzed his situation. He had to destroy this dream world in order to escape, yet the question remained—how? His powers didn't work completely here, and that alone was a problem.

  "Hmm, my powers don’t exactly function the way they should here, which means…"

  His thoughts drifted back to when he first awakened in this strange world. He had attempted to use his abilities, only to find them severely limited. He vividly remembered how his Permafrost failed to activate, how his powerful water-based ability had only produced a mere puddle instead of the intended tidal wave. And then, there was Pandora.

  Arfrotian’s gaze shifted upwards, locking onto the Red Sun hanging ominously above the frozen wasteland. That eerie sun radiated a coldness that was paradoxically burning—a phenomenon that matched Pandora’s very nature.

  "When I first used Pandora’s name, the Red Sun actually reacted… its size increased. Back then, I brushed it off, thinking about making it explode, figuring either my real body would awaken or I’d perish altogether."

  But he had ignored that option. Something deep inside him told him that causing the Red Sun to burst wasn’t the answer. It carried too much risk—an unnecessary gamble when the stakes were at their peak.

  "There has to be another way."

  Determined, Arfrotian attempted to use a different water-based ability. He focused, calling out:

  “OCEANIC FONTAINE!”

  For a moment, nothing happened. He waited.

  Then, after a painfully long few moments, a tiny fountain of water appeared. It was pathetically small compared to what the ability was supposed to be capable of.

  Arfrotian let out a deep sigh.

  "As expected… My water-based abilities are severely restricted here."

  As he mulled over his predicament, he suddenly heard Eterna's voice—sweet, playful, and teasing.

  “Hmm, Darling, do you want to have fun in the water?”

  Arfrotian turned toward her, a questioning look on his face.

  Before he could say anything, her tone suddenly turned mischievous.

  “Hmm, Darling! Do you want to see me in a swimsuit that badly?”

  Arfrotian froze. His brain momentarily short-circuited.

  "Wait! Here I am seriously trying to figure out a way to escape, and this is what she’s thinking about!?"

  He ran a hand down his face, letting out a deep sigh.

  “Guess nothing can be done with her,” he muttered, shaking his head.

  Eterna simply laughed, clearly enjoying his reaction.

  “Hmm, Darling, I was just joking, you know? There’s no harm in having a little fun. I mean, if you can joke about making babies, then this is nothing compared to that, right?”

  Arfrotian was stunned into silence.

  No matter what he said, Eterna would always find a way to shut him up by bringing up past instances of his teasing. Knowing he wouldn’t win, he decided to refocus on the main problem.

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  He narrowed his eyes, thinking back to how this world was created.

  "So, this world was formed when I let Pandora clash with the Eternal Frostheart’s backlash. After absorbing those two calamities, my real body couldn’t handle the pain and lost consciousness, and my consciousness ended up inside this dream world."

  That meant…

  "If this world was created from the conflict between Pandora and Eternal Frostheart’s power, then…"

  A potential solution started forming in his mind.

  Bursting the Red Sun could be an option. But it was a risky one. He couldn’t afford to take unnecessary risks right now, not when the stakes were too high.

  "If destroying the world with one of its elements would cause an imbalance, then… could I destroy it by using both elements simultaneously?"

  It made sense. But…

  "Hmph, not that I have control over the Eternal Frostheart yet. So even if I understand the theory, I can’t use its ice… and I can’t exactly ask Eterna to do it for me either."

  Or could she?

  His gaze shifted toward Eterna, who was staring at him intently.

  Seeing her focused gaze, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Hmm? Honey, what’s with the staring? Is there something on my face?”

  Eterna simply shrugged, looking a little flustered.

  “Not at all, Darling. It’s just… when you’re deep in thought, you look…”

  Her voice trailed off, and suddenly, her face turned bright red.

  After a few moments of silence, she finally admitted, “You look much more attractive when you're thinking deeply, Darling~!”

  Arfrotian felt his heart warm at her words, but he quickly averted his gaze, clearing his throat.

  After regaining his composure, he asked, “Well, is that it? You should look at yourself, beauty queen.”

  Then, getting back to the main issue, he asked, “I wanted to ask… could you help me destroy this world? I mean, you’re still connected to the Eternal Frostheart, even if you’re just a fragment sealed within it.”

  Eterna’s heart fluttered, and she nodded.

  “Hmm, I could actually try. But…”

  She hesitated for a moment before adding, “How about you try assimilating this world within you? Instead of just destroying it, why not absorb it? That way, you wouldn’t just be escaping—you’d actually gain better control over these powers.”

  Arfrotian’s eyes widened.

  "So, destroying this world isn’t the only way out?"

  Her suggestion made perfect sense. Absorbing both Pandora’s influence and the Eternal Frostheart’s energy would allow him to refine his control over them, making him even stronger.

  Arfrotian pondered her words for a few moments. Then, without warning, he suddenly pulled Eterna into a warm embrace.

  Holding her close, he murmured, “Thank you for the guidance, Honey.”

  Eterna melted into his embrace, her voice turning soft and loving.

  “There’s no need to thank me. Did you forget? I’m your wife. It’s just one of my duties. But…”

  Her voice trembled slightly, turning sober.

  “I’ll miss you.”

  Hearing her words, Arfrotian gently placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered, “Remember my promise, Honey?”

  Eterna nodded but still held onto him, reluctant to let go.

  Finally, she whispered, “Don’t make me wait too long, sweetheart…”

  A single tear rolled down her cheek as she released him.

  Arfrotian’s heart ached, as it meant that it was time to leave Eterna, he felt an ache in his heat which he never had felt ever, but for all he knew, this was just the beginning and so Arfrotian sat down to meditate, closing his eyes, not knowing what’s going to happen, an unknowing fear drawn upon him, but he remains steadfast in his resolve.

  Suddenly—

  As if a black hole had formed inside him, the world itself began to collapse.

  The icy desert and the Red Sun started to disintegrate, breaking apart into shattered fragments of energy—all of which were being drawn into him.

  The process was agonizing. It felt as if his entire being was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time.

  But—

  Slowly… steadily… he endured.

  The Eternal Frostheart resonated within him.

  His understanding of Pandora became clearer and clearer.

  And finally—

  The dream world completely crumbled into nothingness.

  Darkness engulfed everything.

  And in that darkness, the only thing he could hear was—

  “Darling! Take care… because you are my everything!”

  Then—

  Everything went black.